With all the recent wintry weather we’ve experienced, I found the return of the wildlife to our neighborhood encouraging. Hungry birds hovered near the apple tree where forgotten, fallen fruit waited for consumption, often triggering feathered wars. Squirrels chattered their dismay, having been forced from the yard by the layer of snow, followed by an […]
Humor
Savor the Moment
Isn’t it amazing how we rise in the morning facing a complete new day, follow our planned routine, and before we know it, nighttime has arrived and we take our fatigue to bed? Minutes have passed into hours, hours into days, and within the blink of an eye, whole weeks have vanished. Where did […]
Method, Not Madness
Along about dusk, they creep from the sidewalk. Witches, ghosts, and goblins travel noisily to our door and knock, all toting a sack or plastic bucket. “Trick or treat!” We drop this year’s offering into their containers and with muffled thanks, they trek off to the next home. Behind them come more—Minions, Star Wars characters […]
Poolside Prowlers
Discouraged by raccoons and other varmints damaging the self-rising pools we provided our children when they were young, we needed a solution. The cycle was endless. Within days of erecting the water attraction, we’d discover claw pokes in the air ring which deflated the pool like a slow-leaking balloon. Duct tape patched most holes, if […]
An Anniversary Remembrance
This week I congratulated a young woman who told me she and her husband celebrated their fifth anniversary on the fourth of July. The milestone day stretched into the night while she tended to a toddler with a sick tummy. I assured her that future anniversaries would not all be sidetracked by young children and […]
Fowl State of Affairs
A year has passed since my husband and I decided we’d join the urban chicken trend. Our Golden Girls, as we refer to them, have feathered our lives with laughs and tabled our dinner conversation with antics. None of us is certain why we decided to embark on this path, but the cackle within the […]
View From Where I Sat
The first shriek came from the barber chair beside me. “Daylight Savings Time is this weekend?” A groan sounded from the corner. “It takes me longer each spring to adjust.” “Why can’t we skip it?” said a third. As the stylist cut my hair, I pondered the comments, and found myself in agreement. Losing an […]
Bidding A Colleague Goodbye
I met Loretta Miller Mehl at an Oregon Christian Writer’s conference one spring. When I read her name tag, I realized she was the grandmother of friends—her son and his wife homeschooled their children through the same channels I homeschooled mine. I said, “I know who you are!” She gave me a skeptical smile. When […]
Nothing Super Here
Girls team sports were not an option when I attended high school. My exposure to group athletics came from mandatory physical education classes. That suited me. I found basketball confusing, sometimes shooting the ball at the wrong basket. Softball proved tedious when I could do little more than swing—which wasn’t often. Track found me panting […]
When Writers Attract Fans
A writing friend, who recently signed a book contract and whose novel was published, received a note from a reader who not only loved the story, but also wanted to connect on social media. To my friend, the comment was like spreading fudge sauce and sprinkles on a banana split already loaded with ice […]